Meet Our Guides
Our Full-Time Staff
Each member of Journey Quest’s staff has a heart for Jesus Christ and to see the lives of kids and adults changed by the power of the gospel. Combined they have over 60 years experience in Christian camping and wilderness ministry. They are dedicated to the ministry and passionate for God’s creation.
2024 Guide Team
As we near the start of our 2024 season, we are excited to introduce you to the guides who are ready to serve your family or your group this summer. We can’t wait to see how God will work through each and every one of them. This page will be updated throughout the spring, so check back often.
Join Our Team
Each summer we hire a guide team to serve our guests. We seek staff who have a passion to know and serve Jesus Christ, a heart to minister to youth and families, and a desire to serve in an outdoors-based wilderness ministry. If that’s you, consider applying for the next summer!
Mark & Sarah Anderson
President / CEO
Mark grew up in the Chicago area and moved out to Colorado in 1992 to serve at Camp Redcloud, a Christian camp in Southwest Colorado. God used Mark’s first year there to bring Mark to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and he served there for several more years before he helped start a wilderness ministry at Redcloud’s sister camp in New-Zealand. In 1997, Mark joined the staff at Reachout Expeditions (now YD Adventures) in Oregon where, despite his fear of water, he became a whitewater raft guide. Mark stayed at YD for nine years guiding river trips, mountaineering adventures, and eventually serving as Program Director.
Sarah grew up in Greeley, Colorado, and loves outdoor adventure. While attending Trinity Western University, she guided for several summers at YD Adventures in Oregon. This is where she met Mark, and they were married in 2001. Sarah has a passion for wilderness ministry, discipleship, gourmet cooking, and hospitality.
Mark & Sarah returned to Colorado in 2005 to direct Camp Redcloud’s wilderness ministry and youth discipleship programs until 2011. During this time they began to sense God’s leading to start a new wilderness ministry in Colorado, and in early 2011 they began the process of starting Journey Quest.
Mark & Sarah have 5 young children who love outdoor adventures and climbing all over all our staff. Mark is a Wilderness EMT, a Swiftwater & High-Angle Rescue instructor for Rescue 3 International, and a certified river guide instructor. Sarah is a Wilderness EMT and a certified river guide and trip-leader.
Steve Nutting
Program Director
Steve grew up in Grand Junction, Colorado where he developed a passion for Christ, the outdoors, and youth ministry. He sensed God’s call to ministry while serving as a counselor at a Christian camp during the summer of 1996, and served as a guide and supervisor for 15 years at Camp Redcloud in Lake City, Colorado. In 2011 Steve joined with Mark & Sarah to help start Journey Quest. Steve has a passion for seeing the lives of youth and adults changed through an encounter with God in His creation.
Like anyone at a small organization, Steve wears many hats and oversees Journey Quest’s marketing, web-design, multi-day ministry trips, rock-climbing, and backcountry programs.
Steve is an avid mountaineer, climber, hiker and skier. He attended Jackson Hole Bible College where he earned a Diploma in Biblical Foundations, and is an AMGA Certified Single Pitch Instructor and Wilderness EMT-Intermediate. When not out in the mountains, Steve enjoys music, gourmet cooking, reading, graphics design, technology, and just hangin’ out. During the off-season, Steve is a moonlight web-developer and graphics designer, and often volunteers with the local EMS and Search and Rescue teams.
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Mario & Heather Currado
Operations Director
Mario grew up in the Western Mojave Desert, where he developed a passion for camping under the stars and exploring the surrounding San Gabriel and Sierra Nevada mountain ranges. His family lived towards the edge of town where they raised many animals on their property, and had large vegetable gardens. He, along with his parents and two brothers, hosted frequent gatherings for Bible study, worship, barbecues, and adventure outings which often included scrambling rocky ridges, sliding down waterfalls to swim in hidden canyons, and sharing wild-crafted meals of acorns, rattlesnake, rabbit, trout, and fresh herbs and berries cooked over friction fires. Through all of this, Mario developed a deep love for his Creator and for sharing the wonders of creation with others.
Mario learned a variety of repair and construction skills from friends and family, and worked with his father for 14 years in the ceramic tile installation trade. During this time he also worked occasionally at living history farms and summer camps, learned technical rock climbing in Yosemite, guided rafting on the Kern River, became a ski instructor, and was certified as a Wilderness First Responder. Best of all, he married his true love, Heather Darrington, a horse-riding, guitar playing bluegrass singer with a fiery heart and sparkling eyes.
Mario, Heather, their son Riley, and daughter Sage lived and worked at The Oaks Christian Camp in the mountains north of Los Angeles for 12 years. They helped care for the numerous facilities, mentored new staff and led many adventures for youth and families from the inner cities of California. The Currados began working at Journey Quest in the Spring of 2022, and are excited for another season of serving our guests in the beautiful mountains of Colorado.
Meet Our 2024 Guide Team
Nate Chandler
Nate Chandler will be joining Journey Quest once again this year as part of the resource staff. After growing up in chilly Minnesota, Nate moved to Sunny Colorado in 2018. Nate graduated from Hennepin Technical College with an associate degree in Architectural Technology spring 2018 and is now working for a software company. He enjoys hiking, camping, exploring, and playing soccer. Nate is married with one Child and loves living in Canon City, CO. Nate’s hope for this summer is that God would use him in to point people’s lives back to God with his actions and words. If Nate loves two things, they would be Jesus Christ and the great outdoors. Serving at with Journey Quest combines both into one!
Kyle Rogness
Kyle Rogness is a long time member of the JQ family who hails from Virginia. After studying for an Associates in Fire Science at Colorado Mountain College, Leadville, He became a certified Firefighter and EMT-b. After graduating from the CMC Fire Academy he is now working for the US Forest Service as a Wildland firefighter. Kyle loves mountain biking, hiking, frisbee, listening to music, playing instruments (piano and currently learning the uke and harmonica), longboarding, 4-wheel driving, picking flowers (yes, really! Like, a LOT!) and thrift shopping for vintage literature! What warms his heart most, though, is spending time with his Wife, Kileen, their precious daughter and dear friends. Kyle is continually learning what it means to walk through the deserts and how God can sustain and provide despite Kyle’s sinful nature to wander. He is looking forward to seeing God grow and mature those who come to Journey Quest, patron or staff, and for God to openly parade His beauty and goodness through Journey Quest and the staff. Kyle can’t wait to be challenged, be goofy, be serving, be filled up, be poured out, and be more like Christ.
Tim Salsman
This is Tim’s first year at Journey Quest. Tim is from Lexington, Kentucky and goes to college down the road at Asbury University in Wilmore, Kentucky. He is a rising senior studying psychology and adventure education & leadership. Tim hopes to pursue the biological and research field of psychology while also serving in the missions field for mental health. Through the adventure leadership program, Tim has developed a passion for outdoor ministry and wilderness therapy. When not studying, Tim loves working as a barista for a coffee shop, spending time with his two dogs, serving at his local missions center, and being in the presence of his friends.
Tim is excited to see what God has in store for him this summer and to grow in whatever areas God is teaching him. He is particularly expectant God will teach him how to be more present, patient, and to lean more into trusting God throughout the day-to-day while pouring into others. He is also excited for the change of scenery Colorado provides compared to his home in Kentucky.
Annabelle Button
Annabelle is joining Journey Quest for her first summer, after a year with Worldview at the Abbey. There, she has spent the 2022-2023 school year with twenty-five other lively young adults studying Christianity, philosophy and making life-long memories. If she’s not in school or working, she hopes to be swing dancing, laughing with friends and family, or writing. She is a Canon City local and homeschool grad, grateful for the opportunity to learn the outdoors side of Colorado while serving the Lord. Annabelle is passionate about people and loves relational ministry. She is excited to make the most of the river and mountains of her childhood. If there’s anything that she wants God to teach her over the summer of 2023, it’s endurance and humility. Annabelle will be working towards a degree in social work in the fall. In the far future, she sees herself married and raising a large homeschool family while working out of her house as a self-employed Christian counselor. Annabelle is heading into the season eager for deep relationship and spiritual growth.
Luke Frost
Luke Frost is returning to Journey Quest for his fourth summer this year as part of the resource staff. He graduated from Toccoa Falls College with a double major in Communication and Ministry Leadership, and he’s ready to get back on the river and rock! Luke is originally from Marondera, a small town in the African country of Zimbabwe and loves to do anything outside (snowboarding, rock climbing, rafting, hiking, etc). Along with working with Journey Quest part time he also works with a cabinet company in town. In his free time, he enjoys taking friends down the river, up rock walls, and to whatever Marvel movie was just released. This summer, Luke is most excited for the opportunity to meet new people and see how God will use every interaction to grow and shape him.
Ethan German
Ethan German grew up in central California where he discovered his love for the outdoors. He lived in the country and the mountains, and always found excuses to be climbing trees or camping with his buddies. Living in the great outdoors taught him to respect God’s creation, and find beauty in the little things.
Ethan is very excited to start his time at Journey Quest this year, and is looking forward to the challenge it presents. Having just graduated high school, he is thrilled at the opportunity of being in the fresh air, which is extremely hard to come by in California. Being able to enjoy the world God has given him is one of Ethan’s greatest joys, and he is looking forward to living that in the fullest way he can.
Outside of work, Ethan’s favorite activities are anything that involves friends and the outdoors. He loves frisbee and hiking, and can’t resist a good nap. Ethan’s hope for this season of life is that he sees God through the hard times, and endures through the tough spots. He hopes to be hardened by his experiences, and he trusts that this time will bring him closer to God. He is always on an ongoing push to be a better person, and he is looking forward to working for God’s glory.
Gillian Knoll
Gillian is beyond excited for her first season at Journey Quest! Since her first time white water rafting, Gillian has dreamed of being a guide. She is so excited that Journey Quest will give her the opportunity to be on the water while pointing people toward the Living Water. She is from Grand Rapids, Michigan where she studies nursing at Cornerstone University. After she finishes nursing school, her dream is that God will open doors to allow her to go into medical missions. Gillian loves spending time with friends and family doing anything active including snowboarding, paddle-boarding, hiking, dancing, volley-ball, and Spike-ball. She is always ready for the next adventure.
This summer she is excited for God to grow her in spiritual leadership and teach her how to completely rely on Him in every circumstance. Gillian cannot wait to spend time enjoying God’screation and building relationships with guests and other guides!
Nathanael Shoemaker
Nathanael has always loved adventure and could not be happier to come back for his third year as ,not only a Journey Quest guide, but also serving as part of our resource staff! From the Great State of Iowa, Nathanael sometimes rafted with his family on vacation in Colorado but never thought he would be a guide himself. Nathanael just graduated from Colorado Christian University with an Outdoor Leadership degree and is excited to put all he’s learned to use this summer with us. Nathanael also enjoys physical activities such as swimming, running, weightlifting, BJJ, and wrestling. If you feel up to it and like to lose, challenge him to a push up contest this summer( you won’t be disappointed). Nathanael also enjoys reading and gaining knowledge/wisdom any way he can, especially through books. This summer Nathanael is excited to see God work on him and the people he comes in contact with. He is most excited to lead young people on their faith journey as they learn to navigate this world.
Marshal Parish
Marshall is looking forward to returning to Journey Quest as part of the resource staff this year. He grew up in a military family and spent the first half of his life moving around. He studied mechanical engineering at Liberty University and is working at a is working for a Christian Youth Camp this summer in CO. You can most likely find him exploring the mountains, navigating slot canyons, or putting way too much effort into finding fresh powder to ski. Anytime Marshall is able, he’ll take the opportunity to go on an adventure and marvel in God’s creation. Meaningful, beyond surface-level conversations about God and His creation are important aspects of many of Marshall’s adventures with friends. He is excited to meet new people, make new friends, and see how God will work in his life and use him this summer. He loves guiding and is looking forward to turning it into an opportunity for spiritual growth.
